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Sept. 24,' 1929. s. s. FRENCH 1,729,038

LOCKER LATCH I Filed May 26, 192e 5 Sheets-sheet 1 I7 I i ,g'f' ff vf2.2;

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LOGKER LATCH Sept. 24

Filed May 26, 1928 Silit/gf S-Ffenck Swim@ Sept.24,1929. s. s. FRENCH 1,729,038

`LOCKER LATCH Filed May 26, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Sept. 24, 1929 NETE@ S'iA'iES Parent ortica SHIRLEY S. FRENCH, GF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T THE BERGER IVJAFTUFACTUR- ING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF OHO LOCKER LATCH Application filed May 26,

This .invention has for its object the provision of a latching mechanism for a locker, which will be simple in operation, of sturdy construction, permit of easy assembly and disassembly, and present withal a neat and attractive appearance.

Another object of the invention is to provide a door for a lock-er having a novel tubular formation at the edge thereof, which functions not only to reinforce the door, but at the same time, serves as a bearing or supporting surface for slidably supporting a latching bar, and also serves to conceal the connection between the latching bar and the door handle which is adapted to be directly connected thereto.

in 'the patent to Sturm and Caldwell, No. 1,671,328, there is described a latching mechanism for a locker in which a latching bar is enclosed in a tubular housing or reinforcement at the edge of the door, the bar being positively forced into latching position by means of especially designed hooks or keepers which enter the housing and engage slots in the latching bar. ln assembling the aforesaid latching mechanism, it is necessary to insert the latching bar into one end of the housing and to push the bar upinto the housing to a position in which it may be engaged by the tenons of an especially designed handle.

ln accordance with the present invention, the positioning or assembly of the latching bar is considerably facilitated by virtue of the fact that the bar is placed on the exterior of the tubular reinforcement in a natural and simpl-e manner, the bar being designed to be positively n'ioved into latching position in the Isame manner as the latching bar described in the aforesaid patent of Sturm and Caldwell.

rlhese and other objects of the invention will become more readily apparent in the course of the following description of one embodiment of the invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. l is a front elevation of a locker in which is embodied the novel features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view, taken on the 1928. Serial No. 280,846.

line 2 2 of Fig. l, and showing the slots in the tubular reinforcement and latching bar for the reception of the bolt of a key-lock;

F 3 is a cross-,section 'through the tubular reinforcement and the latching bar, taken on the lin-e Sw?) of Fig. l;

4i is a cross-section through the door and adjacent portions of the locker, taken on the line 4,-4 of Fig. l;

Fi 5 is a cross-section through the tubular reinforcement and adjacent portions of the locker, taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. l;

Fig. G is a cross-section, taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. l, and ,showing the manner in which. the handle is secured to the latching bar;

Fig. 7 is an exploded view of the handle, a portion of the tubular reinforcement, and a portion of the latchingl bar, showing the relation of these parts before assembly;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper end of the tubular reinforcement and the latching bar, showing the manner in which the latching bar is retained in position by the reinforcement;

Fig. 9 is a'perspective view of the latching bar, and

Fig. l() is a cross-section through the latching bar, taken on the line lO-l() of Fig. 9.

Referring more particularly to then drawings, t-he locker includes a sheet-metal door frame l, and a door 2 hinged thereon. rllhe door 2 is formed at one of its side edges with a tubular reinforcement consisting of two spaced box-flanges 3 and Il, each of which includes inner legs 5 and outer legs 6, and an intervening connecting web 7, which may be Ispot welded or otherwise secured to the rear face of the door. lhe upper and lower ends of connecting web 7, and portions of the legs 5 of the box-flanges are cut away to provide stops 8 and 9, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and for another purpose which will become apparent later. rlhe leg 6 of the box-flange 3 may also be spot welded or otnerwise secured to the rear face of the door, as clearly shown in F ig. 4i. rThe tubular reinforcement is closed at the top and bottom by means of door flanges and 1l, provided with T-slots 12, which serve a purpose to be presently descri-bed. Intermediate its ends, the web 7 is provided with spaced slots 13, these slots also extending through the door proper.

The latching mechanism includes a channel bar 14, the flanges and 16 of which are formed at their extremities with laterally projecting wings 17, and intermediate their ends, with spaced inturned retaining lugs 18, which substantially abut each other, shown in Fig. 10. 'lhe flanges oit the channel bar are also provided with spaced extrusions 19,

' wardly sloping edge 28, appresimately twice T-slot 12 in the flange 11.

as long as the edge 27, and a seat 29.

A handle 30 is provided, consisting of a flat strip 31, suitably mortised to receive the tenons 32 of a U-shaped gripping men'iber 33. After the tenons are inserted through' the mortises in the flat strip 3l, they are bent upward to provide stops 3st, as clearly shown in Figs. lV and 5. Prior to assembling the various parts of the latching mechanism, a headed screw 35 is inserted into, but notv through, the lower stop Bel.

The various parts of the latehing mechanism are assembled as follows:

The wings 17Vat the upper end ot the latching bar are first caused to enter the T-slot 12 in the flange 10, and the bar permitted to drop down until the lower ends oli the wings abut the stop 8. The opposite end of the bar is then inserted in like manner through the The bar is then moved upwardly to its upper limit of movement, and at this point, the lugs 18 will occupy a position just above the slots 13. The tenons 83 of the handle are then inserted through the slots 13, and moved inwardly until the stops 34 occupy the position shown in Fig. 3. The latching bar is then permitted to drop down to the position shown in Fi 3, whereupon the lugs 18 secure the handle against retraction. In order to limit the degree of `relative -movement between the latching bar and the handle, the screw 85 is screwed inwardly, as by means oit a screw driverinserted through an opening 8G in web ot the bar, until its inner end overlies the lower lugs 18, as shown in Figs. 8 and 6.

From the foregoingdescription, it will be readily understood that the various parts of the latching mechanism and the handle may be readily disassembled, when it is desired to repair or replace a defective or worn out part, by a simple reversal of the operations.

It will also be apparent from a consideration ot Figs. 3 and 1, that when the door is closed, the upper edges 24 of the slots 23 in the latching bar will ride up over the upwardly sloping edges 27 ot the keepers 26, until the uppermost point of these edges is reached. rlhc lower edges 25 of the slots 28 will then begin to contact with the downwardly sloping edges 28 of the keepers, and the edges 24 oi the slots will be positively forced to move down into the seats 29. In manner, the locker door is effectively shut or latched, regardless et' how slight or great a lorce is employed to effect the latching.

Claims:

1. In a locker door, a reinforcement eX- tending along one edge of the door and comprising spaced flanges, and a latching bar mounted for vertical'movement between the flanges and provided with means ilor engaging the flanges to prevent detachment of the bar from the door.

2. In a llocker door, a reinforcement er;- tending along one edge of the door and com.- 'pri i. g spaced flanges, portions of said flanges being cut away to provide stops, and a latching bar mounted for vertical. movement between the flanges and provided with means for abutting the stops to limit the vertical movement of the bar, l

El. In a locker door, the combination of a latch ing bar provided intermediate its ends with inturned retaining lugs, and a handle provided with tenons adapted for interlocking engagement withsaid lugs.

1. A structure as defined in claim 3, in which the latching bar is of channelcrosfsection, and the lugs are formed by striking inwardly, portions et the flanges of the bar.

5. A structure as defined in claim 3, and means for limiting the degree of relative movement between the handle and the latching bar.

6. In tending prising a locker door, a reinforcement eX- along one edge oi tbe door and comspaced flanges, and a latching bar movably secured Yto said flanges and restrained from lateral movement thereby.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

summer s. FRENCH. 

